The Deal: An Enemy's Love Story
by littlepenguingrl
Summary: All Ryan wants is for Lita to like him. A mysterious man offers to change him into the man of Lita's dreams, but for a price. Is the price worth it or will Lita see right through him? (Hard to Summarize) R
1. The Life of Ryan

It was my second week of being the new student from America at   
Juuban High School in Japan. It was now friday and my last class was  
just about ready to end. In order to leave, we had to demonstrate our  
ability to preform an over-the-hip throw off of an attacker punching  
at you. I moved to the very end of the line, hoping that everyone   
would be gone by the time I got up to the front of the line. Unlike  
everyone else in the class, I had never once taken a karate class and  
I wasn't very athletic either. To my horror, Lita Kino decided to  
wait in line right behind me with her friend Amy. Lita was the tallest   
girl in the class and could easily take on any guy in the whole room.   
  
I really didn't want to look stupid in front of her when I wouldn't be  
able to toss the attacker. I had tried endlessly with my partner the  
entire class period and couldn't manage to do it. I turned sideways   
and rested my back up against the wall. This gave me the perfect view  
of her without staring directly at her. She really was gorgeous. I   
loved the way her brown hair was put into a stylish ponytail. It was the  
whole cute-without-trying-to-be look and it really did work well for   
her. Unfortunetly, I had no chance with her. I wasn't athletic or a   
fighter by any stretch of the imagination. Besides, she seemed to have  
a steady relationship with Ken, even if they had only been together  
for a little under a month.  
  
" Hi, Ryan. Are you enjoying Japan so far?" Amy asked, bringing me out   
of my daydream of Lita.  
  
" It's...different," I replied, not really wanting to give her my real  
answer.  
  
Currently, I had moved to Japan to live with my father, who hated me   
with a passion. The only reason I came was because mom was going through  
rehab again and my grandparents were touring Europe right now. Because   
of my father, I hated being here. I only knew a few people and my   
Japanese was a little rusty.  
  
" Oh, well...I'm sure if you give it time, you'll enjoy it here," Amy  
said.  
  
" I went surfing in America about a year ago. You guys get such good  
waves. I bet you surfed like every single day back home didn't you?"   
Lita questioned, her eyes sparkling with the memory.  
  
" Um, no. Surfing's really not my thing."  
  
" Oh," she responded. She looked down at the ground for a minute before  
asking," Hey, there's a group of us heading down to the Crown Arcade  
after class ends. You want to come?"  
  
" It'll be fun," Amy added.  
  
" Sure, why not," I said after taking a minute to decide how much   
arriving home late without calling would piss my dad off.  
  
That's when I realized that I was next in line. I stepped onto the mat  
as the person infront of me exited after completing a perfect throw.  
'What I would give to be able to do this right now,' I thought as I  
I got into the ready position. I glanced over to see if Lita was   
watching. She was.   
  
I blocked the punch okay and slid my foot into place. I hooked the   
persons head and pulled as hard as I could to get them to flip over  
my hip. I failed miserably and fell over because I was off balance.  
Jason, who was my pretend attacker currently, started laughing at me.  
Of course, he had every reason to. He was one of the best in the class.  
The teacher let out a loud sigh as I pulled myself back up.  
  
" Keep trying, Ryan. You'll get it eventually. Have you considered maybe  
lifting weights or something? You know, just to get you a bit stronger?"  
the teacher asked while Jason shoved me off of the mat, causing me to   
trip.  
  
Embarrased that I had tripped over the mat, I quickly walked out of the  
gym with my head down, trying my hardest to not hear the laughter coming  
from the small group of people left inside.  
  
* * *  
  
It was seven at night and I was stuck sitting in front of the tv with my  
father. After class had ended, I ditched the whole arcade idea and just  
came straight home. On the tv, some stupid sports program was on.   
Suddenly, my dad looks over at me with this disgusted look on his face.  
  
" Boy, how come you don't do anything great like that?" he questioned me  
while pointing his finger at the tv screen," Ya know, I was an all-state  
champ for football in my Junior year. How come you haven't done anything  
great with your life?"  
  
I rolled my eyes as I picked up my black jacket, CD player,and   
sketchbook. With a quick goodbye, I left the house and headed towards a   
park I had gone to everynight for the past week. It was fully of cherry   
blossoms and if I went in far enough, I could sit by a small lake and   
draw peacefully.  
  
I sat down with my back against a large tree and started to draw   
absentmindedly. The sounds of heavy metal filled my ears as I cranked   
the volume on my CD player up high. After a few moments, I realized  
that there was someone standing beside me. I pulled off my headphones  
and glanced over to see a tall man wearing a white suit. His long,   
redish-brown hair took flight behind him when the wind suddenly picked   
up.  
  
" I couldn't help but notice your picture. Is she somebody that you   
know?"  
  
I looked down, suprised to see a perfect drawing of Lita. I hadn't even  
realized that I was drawing her.  
  
" Um...yeah."  
  
" Is she that pretty or are you just that good at drawing people?"  
  
" Oh no, she is...pretty," I said, suddenly embarrased to be talking   
about Lita to a total stranger when I didn't even know her that well.  
  
" I see that you like her a lot. Her name is Lita, isn't it? She has  
two classes with you up at the high school."  
  
" How'd you know that? Who are you?"  
  
" You can call me Nephrite, Ryan. I know everything. I know that you  
want to join the air force and fly planes when you turn 18. I know that  
you hate your father. You feel out of place here. You wish you were  
stronger. You wish to please both your father and Lita. You wish your  
middle name wasn't Francis. I know you stole ten bucks from your mother  
when you were six so that you could buy some comic book that you threw  
away a year later, even though it would have been worth a bundle right  
now. You've played the guitar since you were ten. Want me to tell you  
anything else?"  
  
" How...how did you know all of that?"  
  
" Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. Does it matter? I'm here to make you a deal."  
  
" Deal? I don't know how you knew all that stuff about me, but I'm   
really not interested in anything you could offer me right now."  
  
" Quite the contrary. I can give you everything you want. Just name it,  
and it's yours! Anything you could possibly want. How about Lita? Do   
you want her to fall head over heels for you? How about your dad? You  
want him to show you respect? Consider it done! Anything you could   
dream of!"  
  
" You can't do all of that! Besides, there's got to be a catch   
somewhere."  
  
" Hm... I see I have a non believer here. Let's just do something  
simple here."  
  
He held out his hand towards me. A yellow ball began to grow on his  
outstrecthed palm. He chanted a few words, causing the ball to expand  
to twice its size. Suddenly, it came flying at me and hit my forehead  
before I had a chance to get out of its way. My forehead stung for a  
few seconds, but the pain instantly went away.  
  
" What the hell did you just do?" I questioned as I ran my fingers  
over the area.  
  
" To prove my power to you. Now, start flying."  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" Try flying. Just jump in the air and go soar around for a bit."  
  
I looked at the man like he was crazy. He gave me an impacient stare  
before he grabbed my jacket and pulled me off of the ground. The next  
thing I knew, I was tossed in the air towards the lake. As I started  
to move in a downwards arc towards the water, I started to wish to  
go up instead of down into the water. Right before I hit the water, I  
suddenly felt the wind fly by my face. I was flying upwards! As soon  
as I was flying over ground again, I suddenly lost control and fell  
back down to the ground.  
  
" Do you believe me now, Ryan? Of course you do. Now about this deal.  
You are still interested of course?" Nephrite asked as he helped me up.  
  
" Um.. Maybe. What's the deal?"  
  
" Quite simple actually. You help me and I'll help you. I'll give  
you whatever you want if you promise to help me. All I want from you  
in exchange is a little help. You see, I need energy. Human energy.  
Don't ask why, I just need it, okay? That's where you come in. You  
can pick anyone you want, boy, girl, whatever. I'll give you some   
powers to help you too. All you have to do is suck it out of them.  
Sort of like a vampire would. Same way even, with the teeth and all.  
When you do, it will collect into this little necklace thingy and  
it will be sent to me. It doesn't even kill people, it's as good  
as harmless. So what do you say? You've heard my deal, so what do  
you think? You game?"  
  
" It doesn't kill people?"  
  
" Not at all. It puts them asleep for a few hours. That's all."  
  
" And you'll give me whatever I want? No matter how much I ask for?"  
  
" Don't get greedy on me. I will do what I can. Name what you want,  
and I'll grant you it right now. Deal?"  
  
" Um...I guess so."  
  
" Perfect. What'll it be?"  
  
" I want to be stronger. I want my dad to treat me with respect. I  
want to have all of the qualities that it would take for Lita to  
fall in love with me...."  
  
" Good start for now. If you think of anything else, we will take  
care of it later. Now, go home and go to sleep. I'll talk to you  
tomorrow when you wake up. By then, you should be the ' new you'." 


	2. Energy

I woke up really late the next day. Glancing over at the alarm clock,   
the big red digits showed that it was already 6 PM. Resting my head back  
down, I wondered where my dad was; he never lets me sleep in past 12.  
The house had an awkward silence to it, so I rolled out of bed to go   
figure out what was going on. Halfway down the stairs, a sharp pain   
ran through my stomach, almost causing me to fall down the stairs. It   
was an unbelieveable throb that felt like hunger pains on steroids.  
  
I managed to make my way down the stairs and into the kitchen without  
killing myself, but the pain kept getting worse. Pulling out a box of  
Lucky Charms, I downed half of the box without thinking twice about it.  
The pain didn't subside and I wasn't sure what was wrong. I walked over  
to the phone, debating if I should call the hospital or not. A yellow  
piece of paper was placed underneath the recharger with my name written  
across the front in my dad's scribbly handwriting. Flipping it over, it  
read:  
  
Ryan,  
  
Had to go back to the US for a business meeting. I won't be back for   
awhile. Gram and Grandpa should be arriving to stay with you around  
2:15 or so. Be good and don't do anything stupid. I'll call later  
tonight.  
  
Dad  
  
Ignoring the pain that began to spread through my body, I noticed the  
answering machine flashing. After it rewound, my grandmother's voice  
rang loudly over the machine: " Pookie! Oh, pookie! Answer the phone  
you dope! (Sigh) You must be out. Well, meet us at the Dragon's Tooth  
for dinner around 7, okay pookie?"  
  
The pain intensified ( if that was possible ) to the point where I   
lost my vision and passed out.  
  
* * *  
  
A cold breeze made me regained conscienceness. Looking around, I   
realized that I was perched up in a tree with my muscles tense.  
I had no idea how I got up here and out of the house. The pain was  
gone and I felt...different. A cold wind blew by again and I realized  
that I was still only wearing the pair of sweatpants I had fallen  
asleep in last night.  
  
Looking down, I saw a body resting on the ground, unmoving. Jumping   
down back to the ground, I landed gracefully on the grass next to the   
body, shocked that I was able to jump so easily from that great of a   
distance. The body was mangled and bloody. As I examined it a little   
closer, I recognized the face. It was Ken's. He was still breathing   
lightly and he didn't appear to have any broken bones. Long and deep   
scratched were scattered across his body, the largest one being at his   
throat.  
  
" Ryan, you suprise me," Nephrite said as he walked up behind me.  
  
" What? Suprise you?"  
  
" You don't think some wild animal did this, do you?"  
  
" But, I..."  
  
" Yes, Ryan. You did this! Your first victim. I suppose I should have  
warned you about your new hunger pains. Must have slipped my mind."  
  
" Hunger...pains?"  
  
" I'm sure you must have noticed them. From the looks of it, you let  
them take control. You certainly took in more than enough energy."  
  
" I thought you said it wouldn't be a big deal when I did! He looks  
horrible!"  
  
" But he didn't die, did he? Suppose I need to fill you in on   
everything now. You didn't happen to look in a mirror before you let  
the hunger pains take over, did you? No? Well, I kept my end of the  
deal. You'll notice all the changes over time. Anyways, you know that  
you give me part of the energy you take. What you don't know is that  
you keep the other half in order to stay..."unviolent." If you don't  
store enough energy inside yourself, your new instincts take over and  
force you to subconsciencly attack the first person you happen to come   
across in order to stay alive. Human food is useless to you now. You   
need energy to stay alive. From what you can see, if you don't do this   
yourself or you try to fight it, you will loose and create hell until   
you find what the amount of energy your body needs to stay alive."  
  
" I..but I.."  
  
" Get use to it, Ryan! There's no turning back now. Have a nice life.  
Oh, and watch out for the Sailor Scouts. They might find out who you  
are and will hunt you down until you are dead. Good Luck!"  
  
With all that said, he became surrounded by the yellow light and   
disappeared. Looking back at Ken, I suddenly began to wish that I had  
never made that damn deal in the first place. " Ry...Ryan. Why?" moaned  
Ken before he became silent again. I heard footsteps coming towards  
us in the distance and quickly leaped back to my post on the tree.  
  
A few minutes later, a male jogger came into the clearing and   
screamed at the sight of Ken's bloody body. Pulling out a cell phone,  
he called for an ambulence and tried to awake Ken until the authorities  
came. As they loaded him onto a stretcher, I swore that I'd never let   
the pains take control again. I then realized that Ken must know that   
it was me who had attacked him. Slowly, I began to fear for my life  
and realized that once Ken reawoke from his coma like unconscienceness,  
I'd have to find a way to keep him from talking.  
  
* * *  
  
I arrived at the Dragon's Tooth a few minutes after 7. Grandma and  
grandpa were already sitting at a table in the center of the room, a  
large pizza sitting in the middle of the table. I then noticed that  
Lita and the group of four girls she hung out with were at the table  
next to them.  
  
" Pookie! You made it!" grandma exclaimed loudly as I walked over to   
the table and gave her a kiss on the cheek.   
  
" Grandma, don't call me that. You know I hate it," I said as I tried  
to keep my cool, knowing that Lita had heard that riddiculous   
nickname.  
  
" Ryan, good to see ya! I got a suprise for ya," Grandpa exclaimed  
as he slid a large envelope across the table towards me," Just came in  
the mail yesterday. Figured you'd want it as soon as possible."  
  
The five girls were now watching our table closely, four out of the   
five trying to be sly about it. The blonde, pig-tailed one just full   
on stared as I opened the envelope. Pulling out a paper, I glanced   
over at my grandpa suprised. My private pilot certificate had came   
earlier than I was expecting along with a pamplet for the United State  
Air Force.  
  
" I knew you would be suprised! I'll do you one better though. Now that   
you have your private pilot certificate, I bought you a small plane to  
put that thing to use! A friend of mine had one he sold me for a  
good price. You'll love it!"  
  
" Thank you so much! I can't believe you got me a plane!"  
  
My grandpa had taught me how to fly planes the day I turned 15 in the  
large grass field located behind their farmhouse, which was in the   
middle of nowhere. He knew about my wanting to join the Air Force when   
I turn 18 and has done everthing in this power to ensure that I would.  
The three of us had always been close and they considered me to be   
their own son since they never really liked my dad that much and he  
never wanted me.  
  
" RyRy, you've grown so much since we last seen you. And just look  
at yourself! Why, I hardly recognize you," Grandma gushed as she stroked   
a small lock of my hair.  
  
Little to her knowledge, it wasn't time that had changed me. After I   
got home from my attack, I suprised myself when I looked in the mirror.  
Every muscle in my body was bigger and stronger. My complexion was   
totally clear and unlike its usual crater-like self. The dark green eyes   
that stared back from behind strands of deep black hair were unfimilar   
to me. I still looked like myself, only a lot more improved.  
  
As we ate the pizza, grandma talked about their trip over here and how  
all my couins were doing. I barely payed attention to her because I was  
to caught up in watching Lita. Every once in awhile, she glanced over  
at me as if it was the first time she had seen me. Once, we even made  
eye contact, but she quickly turned back and laughed at one of her   
friend's jokes. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. After a few seconds, her   
eyes sort of glazed over and a worried look found its way into her eyes.   
She hung up slowly.  
  
" Ken...He's in the hospital," she managed to choke out before bursting  
in tears.  
  
Her friends tried to comfort her and get all the details. After she   
explained that he had been brutally attacked by someone in the park   
earlier,her eyes became intense as she balled her hands up into tight   
fists.  
  
" I'll kill the bastard who did this to Ken!" she threatened while   
punching a hole through the table.  
  
A sinking feeling went through my body as Lita fought against her rage.  
My grandparents offered to give Lita a ride to the hosptial,which she  
gratefully accepted. The ride there would normally have been a long,  
agonizing hour, but sitting so close to Lita in the back seat made the  
ride seem short. I felt awful, knowing that I was the reason for her  
tears. I wanted to help her somehow, but I couldn't think of a single  
comforting thing to do that would help. When we got to our destination,  
I walked Lita in and told my grandparents that I would call them later.  
  
In the waiting room, a couple sat crying. When they saw Lita rush in,  
they quickly embraced her too. Ken's parents told Lita what the doctors  
had said. Somehow, I was able to overhear their conversation, even   
though they spoke with barely a whisper.  
  
" He's in a coma. The doctor isn't sure when or if he'll survive through  
it," Ken's mother told her.  
  
Lita asked to go see him, and the nurse granted her permission once  
Ken's parents agreed. To my suprise, she turned and asked me to come up  
with her, saying that she didn't want to do it alone. I nodded quietly  
and walk next to her until we found the room. Not wanting to see my  
evil deed, I told her that I would wait outside. She came out about ten  
minutes later, her eyes red from crying. She tried to hide her emotions  
back, but she wasn't fooling me at all. I quietly pulled her against my   
chest as her tears soaked through the front of my shirt. 


End file.
